In Another Life
by flames04
Summary: After distancing himself after the Game, Joshua comes to realize what would happen if he hadn't met Neku. Implied Joshua/Neku


**Disclaimer: All the characters are from TWEWY which I do not own. **

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Shibuya is as noisy as ever. The sound of each individual person overlapping with each other. To any other person it would sound so chaotic, but to me, it's like a perfectly created symphony. An ever-changing symphony. There's never a day when I hear the same sound. You could say that it's one of Shibuya's many quirks. The diversity of Shibuya's vast population has come to be something that I love the most. Heh. It's funny how only a few months ago, it was the very thing I sought to destroy. What's even more amusing is that my own proxy was what convinced me to save it.

Neku Sakuraba, you are truly an enigma. A few months have passed since your last participation in the Game, but its still embedded in me like it was just yesterday. I'm sure you can still remember it too. I can see it. Every time you and your friends gather near the Hachiko Statue. Every time you pass by the Udagawa mural. Every time you stop and just stare at the sky in the Scramble Crossing. I know you're still waiting for me, Neku.

I apologize that I was unable to meet you.

You have no idea how much I wanted to, but I simply can't. Our friendship would only complicate things. Honestly, Neku, just think about it. The being that oversees game of death and a living person. It just won't work out. The path of a Composer is meant to be taken alone, and I have long since accepted that. Maybe under different circumstances, it would be possible. But alas my dear, this is the reality that we live in.

Though, I often wonder about those circumstances, those 'what-ifs'. Sometimes I would entertain this curiosity by travelling to other dimensions. Hee hee~ It's very interesting actually how a single decision in your life can affect so much of your future. Every option that you could have taken has its dimension, it's own reality. As such, I have to discover quite a number of variations of yourself. But don't worry, Neku dear, you're still my favorite one. But what intrigues me the most is this:

We somehow encounter each other in every dimension I've entered so far. Some of them are more notable than the others. In one of them we fight for the cause of Tin Pin. One where we are long-time partners. One where I'm just a person that you happen to run into at WildKat. One where we are lingering between dream worlds. Some of them have more desirable endings, and others disheartening ones. Call it coincidence or fate. Whatever term you wish to coin it, but we always crossed paths one way or another.

_Thunderous shaking can be felt by the numerous people in the Scramble Crossing. Large fissures tore through the intersecting road. Cars crashed into each other and hordes of people fell into the cracks. The quake lasted for a few minutes. Once it stopped, rubble was left in its wake. An uncountable number of individuals were crushed under the fallen debris and many more were left injured. The previously bustling and vibrant area is now just a desolate mass of wreckage. _

Hmph. I find it a bit unfair, really. The alternate versions of ourselves seem so happy together. They don't have to bear the burden of being separated by divine boundaries. So, out of spite, I decided to find a world where I never met you. It's simply not fair that we're the only ones who have to endure being apart, don't you think? It took some time for me to find it, but.. what I saw was quite interesting…

_Hurried footsteps rushed out of the vivid building of 104. Crowds of people shoving past each other, scrambling to get as far away as they could. The usual chatter and gossips of the teenagers are replaced with screams of anguish and panic. For once, the riot wasn't caused by a sale in the hottest shop or a celebrity entertaining his fans, but by the glaring flames surrounding the shopping district. The sound of 104 can be heard collapsing beneath itself can be heard as the chaos continues in the area._

I arrived in a universe where I was, also, the Composer. We were almost exactly the same, actually. We were both gifted with the ability to see the UG when we were alive. We had our own Sanae to comfort ourselves. We had to deal with a troublesome Sho who just won't leave us alone. We both bet the fate of Shibuya in a little game with our Megumi. But you know what the most blaring difference was?

_Rocks and bricks of assorted colors are what remains of the Udagawa back street. The picturesque CAT mural is nothing but a colorful heap, like a puzzle waiting to be formed. The place where inspiration was imprinted on young minds is now just a pile of forgotten dreams. _

In that universe, Joshua never met Neku Sakuraba. Don't get me wrong, his proxy was quite skilled, and his imagination was exceptional. Although, he was just not you.

_Amongst the havoc going around the RG, a similar cataclysm is happening in the UG near the Hachiko Statue. Instead of a place where pacts would be formed, the Players find themselves swarmed with Noise. The overwhelming number of them is too much for the Players. Within minutes, half of them have already lost their opportunity of revival. Their existence was already wiped away before they were given a chance to fight._

Naturally, I still won the game against my dear Conductor. Everything played out expectedly, but that was the problem. His proxy lacked something that I honestly can't say what. He never made an impact like you did, so in the end...

Shibuya was destroyed.

Well, I can't say I'm surprised since that was part of the agreement. Shibuya cannot simply just vanish out of thin air. Of course, to erase it we have to make it look natural to the RG. Though, what struck me the most was the fact that one little missed encounter could change so much. Shibuya is grateful to have you, Neku. You saved so many people. But aside from that, I'm also grateful to have you. There aren't many people who can surprise me like you did. Although we're separated, I'm content with this because at least…

… at least I had the privilege of meeting you.

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**Hey, so... I'm really new to this whole thing and my other fic was written literally years ago. It wasn't even an original plot too... ; w ; Please bear with me if you think its terrible. 3**

**Basically, I want to know what you all think! Reviews and corrections are always appreciated. **


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